MILAN —There is only one rule to doing “blokecore” style right: wear soccer gear outside the field.
Bikkembergs is capitalizing on the popularity of the soccer-inspired trend — one of the many “cores” birthed on TikTok over the past few years — and fashion’s nostalgia for Y2K, reissuing its famous soccer sneakers.
The new rendition, part of the spring 2026 collection to be unveiled at Pitti Uomo starting Tuesday, was co-created with Russian designer Gosha Rubchinskiy, known for his post-Soviet, skater-inflected aesthetic.
The era-defining shoe style crafted from leather and available in three colorways — white, green and black — features an oversized tongue with the embossed Bikkembergs logo, lateral stripes bearing the brand’ signature tape flanked by the Gosha Rubchinskiy’s branding in Cyrillic characters, and a tone-on-tone sole.
“Gosha is both passionate and visionary; he has infused new energy into the iconic soccer shoe, merging subculture aesthetics with our rich sports heritage,” said Lee Wood, Bikkembergs’ creative director. “The result is a bold, modern reinterpretation that captures the spirit of football and transforms it into a refined, forward-looking statement. The legacy of the soccer [shoe] has been reimagined to define a new era of style.”
The ad campaign for the Gosha Rubchinskiy x Bikkembergs soccer sneakers.
Courtesy of Bikkembergs
Tapping Rubchinskiy for the project ticks many boxes for Bikkembergs.
The brand has expanded its footprint in the Russian and Eastern European markets in recent years, with stores in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in addition to Morocco. It is also set to open next month a new flagship inside Moscow’s Evropeyskiy shopping mall, the country’s largest.
In addition, both designer brands have forged strong ties with sports and sport subcultures.
To wit, Rubchinskiy’s debut runway show, titled “Empire of Evil,” took place at Sokolniki Stadium in Moscow in 2008, while back in 2005 Dirk Bikkembergs’ runway show at Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium, which featured soccer players from the Italian F.C. Fossombrone team as models, made headlines. Bikkembergs had acquired the team that same year. The namesake designer exited the brand in 2012.
“Sport, for me, has always been more than a game — it’s a language of youth, a lesson in discipline and personal memory,” Rubchinskiy said. “What has been fascinating for me in Dirk’s work is the way he transformed sportswear into a strong visual statement — how athletic gear could carry attitude, presence and elegance. This collaboration is a tribute to that vision. Together, we reimagined the football boot not just as a functional item, but as a cultural symbol — merging our histories, references and shared interest in the energy that lives in the stadiums — both past and present.”
The designer, who is also a photographer and filmmaker, introduced his namesake label in 2008 and presented his first three shows in Moscow. He catapulted onto the menswear scene with his edgy shows in Paris, where he showed for four seasons, from June 2014 to January 2016, as a protégé of Comme des Garçons, which produced and distributed his line.
Over the years, the designer has collaborated with brands including Dr. Martens, Levi’s, Burberry, Adidas and Diesel’s Red Tag project.
After halting seasonal collections for his eponymous streetwear brand in 2018, he faced allegations of misconduct and inappropriate behavior, which he has repeatedly denied. In 2019 Rubchinskiy introduced GR-Uniforma, a new project. In 2022 he parted ways with Comme des Garçons and the Rassvet label which he had cofounded in 2016, inking a deal with a new financial backer to rebuild his namesake business.
In 2023 he was named head of design with oversight on menswear at the Yeezy brand, the fashion venture of Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. The two creatives parted ways earlier this year, suggesting renewed ambitions for Rubchinskiy to invest in his own brand.
The Gosha Rubchinskiy x Bikkembergs soccer sneakers.
Courtesy of Bikkembergs
The Bikkembergs’ soccer sneakers debut in a see now, buy now formula on both brands’ e-commerce sites, as well as at a string of retailers, including Gerard Loft in Florence, which will set up a dedicated window display running through July 3.
Other key stockists include the Italian Par5 in Milan; Eraldo in Venice; Deliberti in Naples; Uccellatore in Catania; Dell’Oglio in Taormina and Palermo; Leam in Rome, as well as Wier in Antwerp, Belgium.
Retailing at 220 euros, each pair comes with two interchangeable lace sets, in waxed cotton and polyester, and a dust bag in green and black inspired by gym carryalls.
“We’re proud to join forces with a standout talent from the streetwear scene like Gosha, who has reinterpreted our iconic soccer shoe with a bold and contemporary edge,” said Dario Predonzan, chief executive officer of Bikkembergs’ parent Levitas. “The selected colorways capture the essence of both brands, embracing the blokecore aesthetic — a look that’s defining the current fashion moment — to create a product that feels both genuine and unmistakably original. We truly hope the audience will share our enthusiasm for this collaboration. From Day One, we’ve believed in this project with unwavering conviction. A heartfelt thank-you goes to our exceptional footwear partner, Rodolfo Zengarini, whose dedication and craftsmanship have been instrumental in bringing this vision to life.”
A preview look from Bikkembergs’ spring 2026 men’s collection.
Courtesy of Bikkembergs
Nods to the soccer sneakers are also evident in the spring 2026 collection, via motifs depicting details of the shoes printed and embroidered on polo shirts and soccer kit-style tops.
Overall, the lineup straddles between relaxed formalwear in pastel hues paired with knit underpinnings and technical outerwear and a more leisurely component, filled with Hawaiian prints and color-blocked patterns geared at summer traveling.